Archives

Comments Off on Minister for Health must come clean over Sláintecare health plan

Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall TD has said the Minister for Health must come clean about the government’s commitment to the Sláintecare health reform plan which has cross-party support. Deputy Shortall, who chaired the Oireachtas committee which produced Sláintecare 14 months ago, said the recent drip-feeds and leaks from government amount to messing and need to cease. “Deputy Shortall said: “Since the Slaintecare plan was published 14 months ago with Read More

Róisín Shortall TD, Co-Leader of the Social Democrats and chair of the cross party Dáil committee which produced the Sláintecare report has acknowledged that the Government has finally announced the Lead Executive for the Sláintecare implementation office. Responding to the announcement, Deputy Shortall said, “Ms Laura Magahy is the managing director of a private sector company, and has been associated with a number of high profile and controversial projects. It Read More

Comments Off on Government disrespecting the Constitutional Convention

Speaking after the Dáil Business Committee rejected the Government’s attempt to railroad through a Bill to remove the ‘Women in the Home’ article of the Constitution, co leader of the Social Democrats and member of the committee Róisín Shortall TD said: “The Government is shirking its responsibility to implement the decisions of the Constitutional Convention which proposed a series of alternatives and additions to the article on women in the Read More

Comments Off on Shortall welcomes restructuring of the Department of Justice

Co-leader of the Social Democrats, Róisín Shortall TD, has welcomed the Minister for Justice’s announcement that his department will be restructured as “broadly positive,” but has cautioned that the Minister must ensure the full cooperation of his department. “The report by the Effectiveness and Renewal Group highlights the dysfunctional relationship between the Department and the Gardaí. “The idea that the relationship between the two had evolved in such a way Read More

Comments Off on Minister must act to stop HSE foot-dragging over release of CervicalCheck smears

Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall TD today called on the Minister for Health to intervene to compel the HSE to release smear slides to women affected by the CervicalCheck controversy so they can be independently reviewed. Deputy Shortall accused the HSE of deliberately delaying the release of the slides for review by independent cytologists by holding up a crucial protocol for their release. Deputy Shortall said: “The lack of urgency Read More

Co-leader of the Social Democrats, Róisín Shortall TD, has condemned the attitude of the Department of Justice to hate crime as “pathetic, and demonstrating a total lack of urgency”. After raising the matter with the Minister for Justice in the Dáil this morning Deputy Shortall described the Minister’s response as “the laissez faire attitude of a man unaffected by these sorts of crimes”. Deputy Shortall explained: “The publication of an Read More

Comments Off on New Garda Commissioner needs fresh senior management team to lead reforms

The Social Democrats have congratulated the incoming Garda Commissioner on his appointment – but cautioned that an entirely new senior management team must also be recruited to lead reforms to address deep-rooted cultural problems within the force. The party’s co-leader Róisín Shortall TD said: “I congratulate Deputy Chief Constable Drew Harris on his appointment at this crucial time when An Garda Síochána faces significant reforms and awaits the proposals of Read More

Comments Off on SocDems call for renewed commitment to services to protect and empower LGBTQ people

Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall TD has called for a renewed commitment to delivering tangible services to protect and empower members of Ireland’s LGBTQ community. Speaking on the 25th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality, Deputy Shortall paid tribute to campaigners including Senator Norris, former President Mary Robinson and former Minister for Justice Maura Geoghegan Quinn who brought forward the legislation in 1993 to allow for decriminalisation of homosexuality and an equal Read More

Comments Off on US embassy officials must be summoned to hear Ireland’s condemnation of torture of immigrant children

Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall TD has called on the government to summon US embassy representatives to relay to the Trump administration Ireland’s condemnation of its policy of forcibly taking children from their immigrant parents. Deputy Shortall said: “It has been deeply disturbing to see the reports and footage emanating from the US in the past number of weeks. Children being forcibly taken from their parents, kept in cages with Read More

Comments Off on SocDems welcome Dáil passage of Bill to extend unpaid leave for working parents

The Social Democrats have welcomed the passage tonight through the Dáil of our Bill to extend unpaid parental leave for working parents. The Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017 allows parents to take a total of six months (26 weeks) unpaid leave from their jobs without their employment rights being affected. This is an increase on the current maximum of 18 weeks of unpaid parental leave per child. The Bill also Read More